Heart valve



Dec. 17, 1968 D. E. LEE I 3,416,563

' HEART VALVE Filed NOV. 23, 1965 ni d States Patent 3,416,563 HEART VALVE Denis Ernest Lee, Acocks Green, Birmingham, England,

assignor to Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited, Birmingham, England Filed Nov. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 509,325 2 Claims. (Cl. 137519) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A valve comprising a ring like member defining a seating and having a web extending across it, and a flap having a tongue engageable in the slot in the web so as to guide the movement of the flap towards and away from the seating and when in the position away from the seating the flap is wholly separated from the seating.

This invention relates to valves particularly though not exclusively intended for use in the humar heart to replace a natural valve which has become defective.

The object of the invention is to provide a Valve in a convenient form.

According to the present invention a valve comprises a ring-like member intended to be secured in an orifice in a position of use, and a flap which, in a closed position, which it occupies in response to the application of fluid pressure at one side of the valve, is in sealing engagement with a seating on the ring-like member and is movable to an open position, in response to application of fluid pressure at the opposite side of the valve, in which it is wholly out of contact with the seating, movement taking place about an axis which is spaced from the seating.

An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of an artificial heart valve constructed in accordance with this invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the valve.

In this example the artificial heart valve comprises a ring-like member having a generally V-shaped crosssection. This is arranged to be secured in an orifice in a position of use by any suitable means such as stitching.

Across the opening defined by this member 10 there is a web 11 having an elongated slot 12 extending from one end towards the centre. Engageable in the slot 12 is an arcuate plate-like tongue 13 formed integrally with a disc shaped flap 14. The tongue 13 has an enlarged free end portion which prevents removal of the flap from the slot 12 in the member 10. The web 11, furthermore, is dished towards the centre of the opening with its convex side adjacent to the flap 14, so that the enlarged end 15 of the arcuate tongue 13, when in contact with the web 11, tends to move towards the end of the slot 12 near the centre of the opening.

The diameter of the flap 14 is larger than the minimum internal diameter of the ring-like member 10 and when in a closed position of the valve, which it occupies in response to the application of pressure at the side of the 3,416,563 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 valve at which the flap 14 is situated, the flap edges are in sealing engagement with a seating formed by the ring-like member 10, this position being illustrated in the drawings.

In use, the application of pressure at the opposite side of the valve causes the flap 14 to move otf its seating and to pivot about an axis which is spaced from the seating, thus moving the flap wholly out of contact with its seating. Further movement of the flap 14 takes place as the enlarged end 15 of the arcuate tongue 13 moves towards the centre of the opening thus still further separating the flap 14 from its seating on the member 10.

The parts of valves are preferably formed from a synthetic resinous material or other material having the properties of being non-toxic, immune to attack by substances contained in the blood, and having a density approximately equal to that of blood. Furthermore it will be apparent that there is substantially no region of the valve over which flow does not take place, this being of particular importance in artificial heart valves to minimise the risk of clotting of the blood.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A valve comprising a ring-like member defining an opening surrounded by a seating, said member being adapted for securement in an orifice in a position of use, a diametrical web extending across said opening, said web having a slot which includes an outer portion adjacent said seating and an inner portion adjacent a central point of the web; a flap which is movable between a closed position in engagement with the seating and an open position in which it is spaced from the seating and further spaced from said web; a tongue attached to said flap and extending through and engaging said slot, said tongue being located in the outer portion of said slot when the valve is in the closed position and in the inner portion of said slot when the valve is in the open position; said tongue having an enlarged end which limits the distance which said flap can be spaced from said seating.

2. A valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein said web is concavo-convex in longitudinal cross-section with its convex side juxtaposed said flap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 327,875 10/1885 Hall 137527.8 2,355,683 8/1944 Sharp 137527.8 X 2,414,260 1/1947 Hunter 137-527.8 X 3,013,579 12/1961 Gilliam l37527 X FOREIGN PATENTS 666,807 7/1963 Canada.

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner. D. J. ZOBKIW, Assistant Exaimner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

